That healthcare reform item is no where near the actual cost of ObamaCare which has a 600 + billion down payment.

Listen you guys can argue till your blue in the face; but if you really think Obama isn't spending a lot then you are just not following the issues.

Mrk; my point about "NEW" vs previous administrations is that many programs that been renewed / extended under the Obama administration yet they don't count that spending in this graph.

Btw; can someone please link me to the source of the chart itself. You continue to comment on the chart; yet ignore the main issue; which is that the chart is part of an article that explains the assumptions that the chart is based on.

The assumptions are key; otherwise you are just looking at a bunch of color and lines that mean nothing. This is economics 101.

For example; look at this chart:

http://www.foundry.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/wapoobamabudget1.jpg

It contradicts the chart that is posted by jpc4p; yet it is also produced by the CBO. "WTF!", you might say, well let me explain. The CBO is kind of like a calculator for congress. Congress sends it a bunch of assumptions and the CBO calculates how it will effect the USA's debt, finances, etc.

However here is the key point; the CBO's job is to calculate; not verify whether the assumptions are realistic / true.

So for example; I could send a request to the CBO to calculate the effect of my new budget on the USA economy. My new budget assumes that alien monkeys from planet uranus have an enourmous appetite for corn (i know crazy). Anyway; we are gonna sell corn to the aliens for trillions of dollars. CBO will make you a nice chart showing the glowing results of this new budget including charts etc.

I want to see the assumptions; otherwise it is suspect. Someone has to know where this chart came from; otherwise it is completely useless to look at its bar charts and compare anything.

the foundry is owned by the heritage foundation which is a conservative think tank (read: propaganda machine)

BO; read the posts would you; I posted the chart because I'm showing that there is conflicting data from the CBO and that assumptions make all the difference.

No where did I claim that the chart itself is the subject of the discussion; I just google'd "cbo obama spending" and picked a chart.

Btw; your ability to comprehend written English is shameful. Shame on you.

http://disruptthenarrative.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/budget.jpg

Here BO look at the pretty picture.

I'm curious dead, given the current political climate. What would you do if you were the president?

Note: your only powers are to veto and to talk a lot on TV - i don't consider negotiation a presidential power

I would use the bully pulpit to call for an across the board cap and cut for federal spending. I would also make all meetings transparent so span could record the entire negotiations and hear which politicians are really saying in negotiations and how it differs compared to what they say in press conferences.

I would do everything I could to sell the idea of reduced government and set the trajectory to accomplish that at some future date. I doubt it is possible to reduce the size of government to the place I think it is best within a single generation.

cspan*

I would veto any increase in taxes. I would push to reduce spending to the point where another tax cut would be possible without deficits.

I would also use the bully pulpit to help gain support for repeal of federal minimum wage. Which I see as a cause of a lot of poverty.

Watch this for my reasoning on minimum wage; don't both commenting on it if you don't have the time to watch this 5 minute explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rls8H6MktrA&feature=related